First, I just want to thank the operators and participants of this fabulous site for providing a wonderful asset for those of us who are just getting started with smoking. I spent many days gleaning as much information as I could find regarding modifications to Brinkmann vertical smokers in preparation for hacking my own smoker, and without the collective wisdom of the group I doubt the result would have proven so successful.

So a big Thank You to all!

Second, I noted in a few discussions that folks were asking for photos of the modifications performed by posters, with "the more pictures the better". As I had already written up the saga of my "FrankenBrinkmann" to share with my sons, I wanted to share the resulting "tutorial" for others who might follow.

As I don't want to burden this site with the 6 Megabytes of pictures embedded in the write-up, I'll just provide a link to the web page here.

Thats NICE!! Did you keep track of how much it cost? I bet WAY under a WSM! Nice work with skills and a shop like that I will be looking forward to your next build! _________________It will be done when its done!

So, the rolled-up cost was $65. The smoker sells for $50 locally, so if I had bought it, I'd have a $115 smoker sitting on my deck - one-third of the price of the 18" Weber Smokey Mountain smoker

fwiw, I could have reduced most of the SS hardware cost. About the only hardware items that ever get hot enough to out-gas are the parts that hold the charcoal grate. The hardware that mount the legs, dampers and base handles could have been the standard bright-plated screws/nuts/washers that cost next to nothing.

While it doesn't have the nice porcelain coating of the WSM, this beast has a functional advantage over the Weber: the air intakes are on the flat bottom, whereas the WSM has intakes on its deep bowl bottom, which exposes them to any wind. My older son has noticed his WSM gets finicky in a breeze, something I didn't notice at all in spite of this last weekend being quite windy up on my deck.

Great looking mods and very detailed with the pics. I'm working on a few mods to my Brinkmann, though I have the red elec version and am converting to be able to use charcoal while still being able to switch back to elec if I ever have the need. I do like the idea of raising the lower rack, so I look forward to seeing how that works out._________________22.5 WSM
Char-Griller w/sfb
Brinkmann Elec
Weber 22.5 Kettle
275 gal fuel oil tank (never used) waiting to become a custom build DPP clone.

I think this should be a sticky too. If my memory is correct I found this site by virtue of looking for mods for my brinkman._________________"if you cant cook it in bacon grease it ain't worth eating"

"Great job on the mods, but I doubt it was cheaper than a WSM with the labor included."

"Skilled craftsman like day_trppr make more than $2.00 an hour!"

Of course, you're correct. The mods took the better part of one weekend, so figure roughly 16 hours total, including drawing time. Deducting $115 (local price for the smoker if I had bought it, plus add-on components cost) from the going price of the 18" WSM would leave around $185, which would make my hourly rate around $11.50 - better than $2, but still pretty close to poverty level pay, I reckon

On the other hand...hours spent in my shop are like vacation time to me. I've built custom cabinets, vanities, desks and random furniture pieces that I couldn't justify actually paying for, yet if I factor in the time spent building and finishing same, would far outweigh the price of the mass-produced alternatives available at retail. Heck, the last piece I built I spent almost two weeks in the finishing phase alone, and I could have bought a reasonable facsimile for around $350.

day_trippr, You got madd crazy skills bro!!! That is Outstanding Work! You need your own half hour show "Pimp My Brinkmann".. You can show up at my house and drive off with my rusted out old POS Brinkmann then show up a few days later to and unvail my new pimped out smoker. I want a beer cooler, a bottle opener and maybe a hot lookin woman air brushed on the side with some flames and a CD/MP3 player, a rear view mirror, a popup LCD TV, computer controlled temp and air induction system just incase I gotta go and get more beer or offload some fluid, a couple of the Girls Next Door from Hugh Hefner's place bendin over to check and see if the ribs are gettin done and huh wah ..? Sorry I just woke up to reality and theres that rusty old POS Brinkmann and my wife standin there givin me a funny look like she is gonna woop me with a broom handle, oh well, we can dream... Seriously Awesome Mod!!!_________________The Original - Triple Barrel Smoker
1 UDS

Hey don't get me wrong- as a fab guy I'd have to say you did a great job with the mods.

And the results (those ribs) looked good too.

Too bad they don't all come out of the box that nice.................

Aw, heck, I didn't take anything negative from your post - your point was definitely valid at its core, I was just playing it to an on-topic conclusion

Now, the "Pimp My Brinkmann" business - love the post, got a good laugh out of the accompanying hallucinations, wonder if HGTV has a half-hour slot open in the fall lineup? My younger son actually suggested a side business selling upgraded Brinkmanns, but there we'd have a real, honest to goodness problem with labor costs. The classic "losing money on every sale but hoping to make up for it in volume" scenario!

Anyway...Being a hardware guy, all the "software" on this site is pretty daunting. I've been wading through the recipes section all evening and I gotta say you folks have assembled such a huge selection of rubs and sauces and stuff to use them on I'm nearly paralyzed!

I suspect I'll need Mondays through Fridays to pick something to cook for the weekends from now 'til the snow flies!

I had a cookncajun Brinkman smoker given to me several years ago. It's very similar to your only no acess door on front. I believe it was several years old when I got it, it had already started to rust, by the time I got it.

Just as I was thinking of throwing it away because of lack of sucess smoking with it. I discovered on the internet about mods, which I did, additional intake air flow, as welll as lid vent holes, i even got the rope gasket as you only I just inserted it when I was cooking.

Doing the mods out in the garage for me was theraputic, and I got a kick out of how the mods did improve the performance of the smoker.

Just as the smoker was rusting thru on the main body, I was lucky enought o find with the help of this website a used WSM on CL for $35 dollars, which i bought.

My modified brinkman did a fine job for me, and I made some good BBQ on it.

Good Luck with your smoker you did a fine job on the mods it looks good.

day_trippr, I am impressed awesome job on the mods. I like your ingenuity marking the pan and laying out the legs. A man can go a long ways with a vise, hammer and a drill. My shop is full of templates and jigs, some took longer to make than the piece they were meant for. It looks like she is doing you a fine job from the looks of those ribs, nicely done my man.

Great post there, day_trippr. I have one of those but the bottom got ran over and crushed. I think I will resurrect it into something that resembles yours. The top and body are still in good shape. I won't be doing it for a while though, too cold outside and that white stuff all over the ground and more tonight.
Your build is bookmarked for future ref. Thank you again._________________Gunny 3073/4044/8411
Jarhead's World Blog
KCBS CBJ & HMFIC Debbie's Q Shack

I've put together several bullet smokers with all the mods,
created some out of the ordinary cookers and converted some large kitchen appliances into "barbecue producing machines."

I guess one could say I've "been around the block" a few times.

Your mechanical skills, innovative resources and love of creating
shine in your tutorial/pictorial post.I've scanned it many times over and never tire looking at it. As a former tool and die maker,machine builder of
automated electronic manufacturing processing equipment and technical private consultant to the surgical devices industry, I salute your abilities
and willingness to share with us here your fine example of what a bullet smoker should exhibit when properly modified!

Aw, shucks Thanks, guys, for the very kind words. I had fun with that project - as my sons knew I would when they bought me that cooker. And it works so well with all the mods it'll have to rust into oblivion before it gets replaced

Cheers - and thanks again!_________________Save the planet: it's the only one with beer!FrankennBrinkmann ECB
Char-Broil Commercial Gasser

I wanted to do the fiberglass rope on my electric and then put a vent in the top so I'd have control over how much heat is lost.

However all I have gotten are blank stares whenever I ask about fiberglass rope. I tell the people at Sears, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, etc. that I need oven door liner and they say "ok, what's the part number off your stove?"

I tell them this is a smoker and they don't make this part for it and they say "I guess you'll need to find some place that sells asbestos rope?" O.o I thought that was banned.